Aeonium plant named ‘Mardi Gras’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Aeonium  cultivar named ‘Mardi Gras’ is disclosed, characterized a unique, stable tricolor variegation, incorporating lemon yellow, green and burgundy. Plants are compact, and very suitable for production in smaller pot sizes, such as a commercial 4 inch nursery container. ‘Mardi Gras’ shows very little negative effects under low water stress, instead foliage makes a very attractive burgundy blush. The new variety is an  Aeonium , typically produced as a garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Aeonium hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Mardi Gras’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The newvariety originated from a cross pollination of the seed parent, anunpatented proprietary selection of Aeonium hybrid referred to as ‘#13’with the pollen parent and unpatented commercial vareity, Aeonium hybrid‘Velour.’ The crossing was made during March of 2007 in Vista, Calif.,at a commercial greenhouse. ‘Mardi Gras’ was discovered by the inventor,Renee O'Connell, in October of 2007, in Vista, Calif. at a commercialgreenhouse.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Mardi Gras’ was firstperformed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse by vegetativeleaf cuttings in October 2007. ‘Mardi Gras’ has since produced severalgenerations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar arestable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Mardi Gras’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Mardi Gras.’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Mardi Gras’ as a new and distinct Aeoniumcultivar:

-   -   1. Unique tricolor variegated foliage.    -   2. Unusual lemon yellow with green and pink blush foliage.    -   3. Intense deep burgundy foliage color during times of drought        or cold.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Mardi Gras’ are similar to the female parent‘#13’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Mardi Gras’differs in producing more compact plant, with tricolor foliage, whereasthe seed parent does not have tri-color foliage, and has no lemon yellowcoloration of its foliage.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Mardi Gras’ are similar to the male parent‘Velour’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Mardi Gras’differs in having tricolor foliage, whereas the pollen parent does nothave tri-color foliage, and has no lemon yellow coloration of itsfoliage.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

‘Mardi Gras’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial varietyAeonium arboreum ‘Tricolor.’ Plants of Aeonium arboreum ‘Tricolor’ aresimilar to plants of ‘Mardi Gras’ in most horticultural characteristics,however, ‘Mardi Gras’ produces more sideshoots, a more compact plant anda different tri color variegation combination. Additionally, ‘MardiGras’ maintains a more stable foliage coloration than Aeonium arboreumTricolor.

‘Mardi Gras’ can also be compared to the unpatented commercial varietyAeonium ‘Sunburst.’ Plants of Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ are similar to plantsof ‘Mardi Gras’ in most horticultural characteristics, however, ‘MardiGras’ produces a significantly more compact plant and has foliage thatproduces a deep burgundy blush under drought or cold conditions.Additionally, ‘Mardi Gras’ maintains a more stable foliage colorationthan Aeonium ‘Sunburst’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘Mardi Gras’ grown outdoors in Vista, Calif. This plantis approximately 4 months old, shown in a 4 inch pot. Plants wereproduced under some low water stress, to induce the burgundy blushcoloration mentioned as a distinctive characteristic. The photograph wastaken using conventional techniques and although colors may appeardifferent from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurateas possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to the PantoneProcess Color System Guide, except where general terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used. The following observations andmeasurements describe ‘Mardi Gras’ plants in a commercial greenhouse inVista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from −1° C. to 29° C. night and day.No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatmentswere given to the plants. Natural light conditions were approximately2500 to 4000 fc of light. Plants were produced under some low waterstress, to induce the burgundy blush coloration mentioned as adistinctive characteristic. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Aeonium hybrid ‘Mardi Gras’.-   Age of the plant described: Approximately 4 months.-   Container size of the plant described: 4 inch.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to initiate roots: About 15 days at approximately 21° C.-   Root description: Fibrous.-   Propagation method: Vegetative divisions.

PLANT

-   Growth Habit: Compact succulent, producing foliage in a rosulate    pattern.-   Container size: 4 inch.-   Height: Approximately 10.5 cm to top of highest leaf.-   Plant spread: Approximately 16.5 cm.-   Growth rate: Moderate.-   Branching characteristics: Produces offsets from outer ring of main    rosette.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Densely rosulate.        -   Average length.—Approximately 7 cm.        -   Widest width.—Approximately 2 cm.        -   Width at base.—Approximately 0.5 cm.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Shape of blade.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Mucronate.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Margin.—Denticulate to serrulate.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.        -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Approximately 75.        -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Rose color near S 147-1            Pantone, yellow color near S 26-7 Pantone and apple green            color near S 297-3 Pantone. Young foliage, upper side:            Margin near tip near S 143-4 to S 144-1 Pantone. Young            foliage under side: Near S 144-4; yellow color near S 5-5 to            S 5-7 Pantone. Mature foliage upper side: Rose color near S            134-3, odd bronze green color where overlaid with rose near            S 320-9 Pantone. Mature foliage under side: Near S 136-3, S            15-6, S 292-7 other green Pantone.        -   Venation.—Type: Parallel. Venation color upper side: Near S            155-2 Pantone. Venation color under side: Near S 155-2            Pantone.

FLOWER

-   Flower has not yet been observed to date.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Seeds and fruits: Not observed to date.-   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to    normal diseases and pests of Aeonium has been observed.-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately    −1 C. to 32 C.-   Drought tolerance: Tolerates at least 2 weeks of high temperatures    without supplemental water, showing no serious damage to plant.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Aeonium plant named ‘Mardi Gras’ asherein illustrated and described.